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Artist: Arthur Armstrong RHA (1924-1996) Title: Brown Landscape Signature: signed 'ARMSTRONG' lower left and titled verso Medium: oil on board Size: 51 x 61cm (20.1 x 24in) Framed Size: 71.6 x 82cm (28.2 x 32.3in) Provenance: The Ritchie Hendriks Gallery, Dublin (label verso); Collection of Miss Foley; Private Collection a#morebtn { color: #de1d01; } a#morebtn:hover { cursor: pointer;} A painting that hovers between representation and abstraction, Brown Landscape is primarily an essay in texture and colour. Having applied a layer of gesso to the panel, Armstrong then worked and cut into the plaster with a palette knife, creating a low-relief representation of a village in the West... Read more Arthur Armstrong Lot 57 - 'Brown Landscape' Estimate: €3,000 - €5,000 A painting that hovers between representation and abstraction, Brown Landscape is primarily an essay in texture and colour. Having applied a layer of gesso to the panel, Armstrong then worked and cut into the plaster with a palette knife, creating a low-relief representation of a village in the West of Ireland, with a mountain behind. Armstrong regarded himself as an abstract painter, and prided himself on never painting 'views'. The heavily worked surface of Brown Landscape has a presence that reflects the solid and enduring qualities of the coastline depicted. Often in his paintings, Armstrong sought to convey a sense of the primordial, envisioning the Irish landscape as it was before being settled by mankind. He responded to the sculptural form of weathered boulders on the seashore, conscious of the geological age they represented. Incisions cut into the painted gesso add to a sense of age and permanence. Above the undulating outline of the mountain, the sky is a dark, dun colour. The houses of the village are outlined with sharp incisions, highlighting the gables and windows. In front of the village, a field, and below that, a rocky coastline or lake edge. Born in Carrickfergus, Armstrong studied architecture at Queens University, Belfast, and also attended Belfast College of Art, where he met artists Gerard Dillon George Campbell and Daniel O'Neill He lived for a time in London before moving to Dublin in 1962, travelling frequently to the West of Ireland, and spending much time in the area around Roundstone. He also travelled and painted in France, Spain and England, and his work was exhibited in these countries, as well as in the USA. He also worked in the theatre, and in 1969, along with Campbell and Dillon, painted sets for Juno and the Paycock at the Abbey Theatre. During the 1970s and 80s Armstrong had a series of successful exhibitions at the Kenny Gallery in Galway. Elected a member of the RHA in 1972, he became a member of Aosdána nine years later. Peter Murray, March 2023